


Fugitive

by Naminxms



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Daddy Issues, Drama & Romance, Family Issues, If you came to read just smut I suggest you look elsewhere, M/M, Made up race of people, Minor Original Character(s), Murder Mystery, Mystery, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Sweet He Tian, Top Jian Yi, a/b/o undertones ngl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29701776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naminxms/pseuds/Naminxms
Summary: When Mo Guanshan's family is framed for the poisoning of a high nobleman, Mo finds himself running into Fuyu Forest to escape. On the run, he discovers three individuals who seem rather keen on entangling themselves in his family's business.
Relationships: He Tian & Mo Guanshan (19 Days), Jian Yi/Zhan Zhengxi (19 Days)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. The Legend Of Kohak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pssst this is a prologue!

There are two dominating races. The **Human race** , and the **Dongwu race**. Both races born from dust. The founding figures of Kohak are: Ran (Dongwu), Mia (Dongwu), Vicar (Human), and Seri (Human). Mia, unlike her male counterpart, found no interest in him and followed the two humans. After many long years, both Seri and Mia bore children for Vicar, leaving Ran furious with envy.

Although Dongwus were physically weaker and smaller than humans from the start, their intelligence and stamina made up for it. Ran forged and created his own weapons, killing most of Mia and Vicar's children out of jealousy. Because of this, Ran was shunned, and Mia fled, leaving her small amount of children that were left.

Vicar and Seri began writing of the terrible things that had taken place, talking badly against the beastly nature of the Dongwus. Written in stone they wrote they'd never be equal, and that Dongwus were birthed from the beasts of the field, not directly from dust like them. 

Mia's children that were left were raised by Vicar and Seri. And As they built their kingdom, the half Dongwus were taught to hide their ears and tails, only associating with their human sides. To get revenge on Ran killing his children and making him lose one of his wives, Vicar fought Ran with no clear victor.

Fleeing the land, Ran swore there would never be peace between the two, carrying down for generations to come. That is, until one killed the other off completely. Once Ran had left the Kohak region, he started a kingdom of his own. Its name was the **Zerus Empire**.

He had his own harem of Dongwus from all over the world, causing them to be the dominant race in his kingdom as they multiplied greatly. As generations continued in Kohak however, most Dongwus were wiped out, their bloodline diluted.

Only a few Dongwus survive to this day in Kohak, hiding their features in the presence of others.


	2. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mo escapes Sarton and meets two rather odd individuals.

Mo Guanshan had finally been enjoying himself at the Azure festival with his family, so why did he have to run away? His crimson feline tail whipped ferociously in the wind as he dodged Sarton guards, the sound of his heartbeat deafening his ears. He had no weapon on him, he was the son of a well-known cook for Pete's sake, he was no knight, which led to him having to flee from the scene, losing his pride in the process. As he hopped over tables and dashed through crowds, Mo angrily wondered who'd done this to his family. Who was this bastard that framed them, and for what reason? 

Gasping for air, he ran through the plains behind the village, quickly losing sight of the knights who had chased him. He was lucky they couldn't keep up, their heavy metal armor slowing them down tremendously. 

As Mo reached Fuyu Forest, he found himself wasting no time as he tunneled deeper inside. A warm yellow glow peeked through the leaves and shun brightly on the forest floor. Creatures of all kinds chattered quietly to each other as they ran across trees, looking down at Mo from above. A soft breeze brushed through, leaving a shiver down his spine. 

As his breath began to calm and his heart steadied, Mo continued through the forest. It felt peaceful, hell, it began to feel even more inviting to him than his own hometown had ever been. 

Relishing in the silence, Mo's peace was cut short when an arrow whirled past him, nearly taking a chunk out of his fuzzy ears. Wasting no time, Mo bolted, only to have a voice shouting after him. 

"Hey! Hold on!"

Before he knew it, the large figure of a horse appeared in front of his eyes, blocking him from running any farther. 

Glancing up at the figure riding the horse, Mo spotted a young man dressed rather lavishly in blue. He wore a small helmet that seemed to tuck away his blonde-almost silver straight hair, giving off the aura of a rich, pampered, young man.

Scratching his head, the boy looked down at Mo before speaking. "Sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to scare you, I swear I was just trying to hit a squirrel. My name is Jian Yi by the way."

Mo barely heard him, his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. "Who-who the hell are you?"

Confused, the boy pointed at himself before taking off his helmet. "Didn't I just say my name? I'm Jian Yi-"

"Better yet, who are you?" Another voice chimed in, much more intimidating than the last. Trotting up to Jian Yi, a lad around the same height with ash-brown hair stood confidently on an Arabian horse. At his side, he wore a large sword that hung loosely from its sheath, as if begging to be used. 

"Why does it matter to you?" Mo answered. Folding his arms, his brows furrowed. He didn't have time to waste on these two, his parents had just been arrested and he was next, he had to find a place to hide. Once he could find a safe place, his plan was to find out who had caused him all this madness. 

"Woah you're pretty ballsy, what are you doing out here in Fuyu though?" Jian Yi spoke up, hoping to release some of the tension.

Mo knew he had to think of something on the spot, the last thing he wanted was for these boys to turn him in. "I'm a forager."

"Oh, I see! But, where's your basket?"

Nervously, Mo pointed north, farther into the forest, far away from his hometown Sarton. "I-I left it back home accidentally."

Smiling, Jian Yi pointed towards the other boy's horse.

"Want a ride? We can take you back home, but you might wanna hide _those_."

Stunned, Mo touched the top of his head, feeling his warm cat ears still present. ' _Shit! I didn't even realize I left them out_.' Mo thought, mentally cursing a bit more before speaking out loud. He wondered why they weren't insulting him or kicking rocks but instead stared curiously as he hid them. 

Shaking his head, Mo turned away from the two, beginning to walk in the opposite direction of Sarton. "No thanks, I know where home is." 

Huffing, Jian Yi kicked his horse, walking slowly next to him. "Seriously, I don't want to find your dead body all mangled and torn up tomorrow morning somewhere in these woods, besides, it'll be sunset before you reach any town on foot from here."

Mo stopped in his tracks for a moment, reevaluating the situation. He could use this to his advantage to venture further from his town. His parents definitely weren't going to be kept in a Sarton prison, there was none. They'd have to be moved to one of the bigger cities with mostly humans, and these boys would lead him right to one. The only thing was, Mo wasn't sure of any other towns except Sarton and Erith, where his father would sometimes leave on trips to sell his food. 

Deciding to take a chance, confidence began to bubble up inside of him as he turned to face Jian Yi; assuring himself that if it could get him farther away from Sarton guards, it would be worth it. 

"Alright fine, I live in Erith."

Stunned, both Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi turned to look at each other before glancing back at Mo.

"I-I didn't know any foragers lived in the capital honestly..." Jian Yi stumbled on his words, so taken back by the oh-so-sure-of-himself Mo, who had no idea of the true importance of Erith. 

Ignoring his remark, Zhan Zheng Xi motioned for Mo to hop on the back of his horse, this experience being entirely new to him as the other boy helped him up.

While they trotted over roots and Mo began to settle into the feeling of the saddle, his mind began to wonder. What had Jian Yi meant by not knowing foragers who lived at the capital? And was he really headed straight to Kohak's capital city?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try and update soon!


	3. The Azure Festival Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of what had happened earlier that day during the Azure Festival, before the "incident."

"The king's approval is quite shocking, isn't it, _Mo Guanshan_?" A familiar deep voice rung in Mo's ears, as a figure appeared from behind a hut.

Earlier that week, the king had told his subordinates to spread the word, Sarton, a village full of Dongwus, would be hosting the annual Azure festival. It was a time when everyone came together, no matter what rank, to feast and spread joy throughout the kingdom before the chill winter plagued the land. The king's words shocked people in Sarton as much as it did people outside of the village, his majesty was even so gracious as to allow Dongwus to show their true forms, without the backlash that would usually come with it. This was a new experience for nearly everyone in the kingdom, most older citizens upset and confused by the king's proposal. 

Hearing the voice, Mo turned around to meet the tall fellow, his long silver hair and tan skin glowed in the bright sun. He wore long, gray robes, and a belt tied around his jet black leggings. Sweat seemed to form at the top of Mo's head before he took a few steps back. He didn't expect to see him out here, he must've been following him, otherwise, he'd have never gone to the back of their house. It was only for taking baths or collecting water from the well. 

Deciding it was best not to ignore him, Mo spoke his mind. 

"He's a good ruler, he knows all his citizen's matter, I didn't expect you to be one to care for such things."

A soft smile seemed to tug at the other's lips as he walked up to Mo, folding his arms. "Of course I do...The King's choice in having the annual festival here greatly impacts our image."

A barely audible laugh left Mo as he covered his face, "As if you ever cared about Sarton's image She Li. All you do here is abuse your power as a noble and ignore what you would call your "sweet Dongwu peasants". Why don't you just drop the act already? Who are you trying to fool?" 

The words piled up and spilled out of Mo's mouth before he could stop it, his stomach tossing and turning inside of him as he awaited the man's response.

Laughing, She Li walked forward before swiftly snatching Mo by his neck, dragging him closer, his nails digging into his skin. The bucket Mo once had filled with water drenched the dry ground below them; which soaked it up needily. 

"I _own_ you Mo Guanshan, you, your family, and all you damned dirty Dongwus. Just because King Shen gave you animals some leverage doesn't mean it's any different now."

Wincing at the pain, Mo felt sweat trickle down his face as he clawed at She Li's fingers that drew blood. 

Tossing him to the ground, She Li rested his arm on his sword before smirking down at Mo who rubbed his neck in pain, wiping the trickles of blood off his neck. 

"You forget which one is of nobility here Mo Guanshan, perhaps if I cut off that filthy tail of yours, it would remind you of who's in control?"

Instinctively, Mo's tail curled up on its own around him, before he hurriedly stood to his feet, sprinting away from She Li who watched curiously; the smile on his face grim and menacing. 

Huffing loudly, Mo nearly tripped over barrels and baskets as he fled into the main square, hoping the crowd would help him blend in. His bright ginger hair didn't seem to help him much though, along with his crimson tail and ears that seemed to be a burst of color in the swarm. Nevertheless, he at least felt safer within a crowd of people who looked like him, it felt as if She Li would never reach him there.

___

As She Li watched the scared boy nearly trip running off into the crowd, he looked down at the dusty bucket in front of him. Sliding his sword back into its sheath, he snorted, grabbing the pail. This all was just too easy.


	4. Erith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mo Guanshan, Jian Yi, and Zhan Zheng Xi enter Erith to go their separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little more information about Zhan Zheng Xi's character in this one! And Jian Yi as well, along with an interaction between them.

Mo gasped at the sight before him as they rode out of Fuyu Forest. The village right below them was full of bright lanterns that hung lowly from markets bustling with life. Even with the sun down, the village was still crowded, Mo had never seen anything like it. There was no such view in Sarton.

Crenelations outlined the outskirts of the town for protection, archers stood yawning, watching the area around them. As Mo lifted his head up to look straight forward, standing tall in the middle of the town, eight thin round towers dominated the skyline. An enormous castle stood in the middle of the eight, connected by golden stone. Numerous windows decorated the walls in a random pattern, along with trees surrounding the area. 

Mo had no idea Erith would be so grand, he nearly thought it was another basic village in which his father went to trade-in. Even with Jian Yi saying it was the capital, he didn't realize such a place like this would exist. 

With his mouth wide open, they neared the front gate, and Mo finally seemed to snap back to reality. How was he going to get past the guards? Lowering his gaze, he looked down on the saddle that he rode uncomfortably on. As they arrived, Jian Yi's voice spoke. 

"Good day men! We're back from our daily hunt."

"What is it that you got this time your Excellency?" A knight asked, bowing slightly as they trotted into the gate.

Laughing, Jian Yi pointed towards Mo, "A lost forager and 4 pheasants! It was quite the chase."

Annoyed, Mo looked up to glare at Jian Yi. "You-!"

"Please do be careful your Excellency, and good day to you as well Zhan Zheng Xi."

Nodding, Zhan Zheng Xi held onto his leather reins, "Good day."

Cautiously, the two knights on each side of the gate looked Mo up and down before asking, "Your Excellency...Are you sure of this forager?" 

Waving his hand, Jian Yi smiled at them. "Of course, he's a native to Erith!"

Confused, both of the knights looked at each other before kneeling. "We shall take your word for it then, welcome back."

"Thank you." Jian Yi said, before kicking his horse once again, their hooves clattering loudly against the cobblestone. 

Mo let out a heavy breath he didn't know he was holding in, he'd made it. 

Unluckily for him, Jian Yi had no intention of being quiet, he still had many more questions to answer. "So, where do you live? We can drop you off there. The festival earlier today was quite the travel, it's too crowded to move on foot now since everyone is going back to their villages."

Shaking his head, Mo knew this was his only chance; he had to make a run for it. He finally escaped Sarton, and better yet, they brought him into another town he could stay in till he figured out a plan. The only real downside was the fact that it was the capital, sooner or later, he figured they'd hear the news of the noble's death. 

"No need, even if it's crowded, I can travel on foot. See ya."

Hopping off Zhan Zheng Xi's horse, Mo felt his legs almost give out as he leaned onto the horse. A small gasp left his mouth as he tried to regain balance, both Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi watched him in amusement. 

Annoyed, Mo scowled at them as he stomped off, feeling embarrassed.

___

"Are you really letting him go?" Zhan Zheng Xi asked, turning towards Jian Yi who watched him march away into a crowd of townspeople. 

Nodding, Jian Yi smiled at him. "Of course, we'll have plenty of times to meet him again, he appears to be quite interesting."

Rubbing his chin, Zhan Zheng Xi glanced off in the direction in which he'd left. "I agree, despite his horrible attitude, he doesn't seem so bad. Though, something about him seems...Off."

Riding up near him, Jian Yi slightly nudged his side. Pulling him from his train of thought. "If you keep thinking about him so much I might get jealous!" 

Rolling his eyes, Zhan Zheng Xi kicked the sides of his horse, beginning to walk down the street. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Anyways, I'm certain lady Jian wants to see you, we've been out all day. And lord Xian Wuying probably has a story to tell after going to this year's Azure festival. "

Excitedly, Jian Yi quickened his horse to catch up, "You think so? Maybe we should've gone this year? Either way, I hope he brought back something exciting!"

"I'm sure he has your excellency, shall we hurry?"

Kicking his horse, Jian Yi instantly went into a canter. "Yes, Let's go!"

___

When they'd reached the manor, darkness had completely fallen on the land. The sun had long gone to sleep below the hills, leaving only the moon to shine. Quietly, Zhan Zheng Xi took both of their horses, leading them into a nearby barn to feed and rest. Curiously, Jian Yi followed after him, watching him as he brushed them down and took off their saddles. Plugging his nose, he leaned against the barn door. The smell of barn animals was strong and foul. 

"Ugh...I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay over to eat but, I think the smell of the barn just ruined my appetite." 

Smiling, Zhan Zheng Xi locked up the horses in their stalls before heading over to him. "I'd love to your Excellency, but I'm not sure if your mother would allow-"

Shaking his head, Jian Yi quickly shuffled far from the barn, desperate to get away from the stench. "Don't be silly! We've known each other since we were children...She trusts and knows you, and I do too. You're always welcomed at our manor, Zhan Xixi."

Looking down, Zhan Zheng Xi hid his satisfied smile, "Alright then, thank you for inviting me."

As they walked over to one of the many castle doors, Jian Yi continued. "Of course, and would you please not call me your Excellency anymore? You're my best friend, not some commoner, there is no need to use that title."

Scratching the back of his head, Zhan Zheng Xi answered. "I know, but even so, I'm still a peasant, and a Dongwu at that-"

Clasping his hands, Jian Yi glared at him, obviously annoyed. "Dongwu this, Dongwu that, I don't care! You could fully be an animal and I'd still want to be your friend. There is truly no difference between you or me, and I don't care if you're a peasant!" 

Zhan Zheng Xi stared at him who refused to let go of his hands, he could feel the warmth of his touch, it was nice in the cold breeze. His cheeks held a rosy red, either from anger or the cold, he couldn't tell.

"Jian Yi...Do you l-"

Before he could finish, the nearest castle door busted open, where a disheveled lady Jian stood, looking terribly exhausted. 

"There you are..." She said, watching as Jian Yi promptly removed his grasp from his, already missing the warmth that they'd shared. 

"Yes, mother?" 

As if searching for something on the ground, lady Jian kept her head down. "Please, come inside, we need to talk. You as well Zhan Zheng Xi."


End file.
